Snap electric-light switch.



J. YUILL. SNAP ELECTRIC LIGHT SWITCH. APPLICATION mm sun: 19, 1914.

1,143,876. Patented June 22, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- J. YUILL. SNAP ELECTRIC LIGHT SW'TCHi APPLICATION FILED um: 19', ma.

I 1,143,876. I lmntediuneza 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

avmm I I d foz e it known that 1, James 1- enrran s'rnrns PATENT ioF oE."

Jamie's YUILL; or TORONTO, oNrAn-Io, CANADA, 'AssIcNOR 'F oNn-irnmn 'ro'wILtIAM' nonnwoon TAYLOR srnvn s, or TORONTO, ONTARIO, cnrmnmnnn ONE-THIRD T LEONARD RAHNE, carom GEORGE,

' YUinL, a sub ject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Toronto, in'the count-y ofYork, inthe 'Province of On ario, Dominionof Canada, have invented new and useful Improvements in Snap Electric-Light. Switches, of whichthe following is a specification.

My-invention relates to a snap electric light switch and has asits principal object the provision of aswitch which will inter- '.rup t the circuit in which it is connected only after an appreciable interval after receivin ,an operative impulse:

vide ajswitch of the character described in condk'fibjectj 'f my invention is to prowhich-the' timeg-lagof the switch after receiving the operative impulse may be adjusted. 3

nal object :of my invention resides in the particular arrangement and combina- I tion of parts hereinafter described;

) Referring more particularly to the drawing, Figure 1 it's plan view of my device,

partly broken away, the outer casing being .removed. ,Fig. 2- is a central sectional, view.

through the device shown in Fig. .1 the cas-- ,ing being in place.' Fig 3 is a detail view' ofthe means'forregulating the time lag.

Fig. i is an invertedview in perspectiie of certainof the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

. 5 is a perspective'view of the-retarding pis- 1 P Q the-body of the pistonbeing shown in outline onl .v

. ton .and a portionof'its rod. Fig. 6 is a I perspective viewof the outer casing and snap member. Fig. 7- ;is' a cce'ntral'sectional view of the packing ring usedwith. the

.-. In thels'eparate views the same part is designated bythe sameireference character. Referringmoreparticularly to the draw-- .ing, I is a base plate of insulating material which may be'suitably fastened to awall or other support. Mounted centrally of the .bas'e plate I is a spindle 11 on which is-ro-' itatably mounted asleeve which carries a c'tinnecting bar'or arm 7 which extends-on each side'of the spindle 11, the ends of which are arrang to contact either with the .polesegments.8-8 or with the insulation blocks*9'9.' Aspring- 12 is connected to the bar 7 and to the cover 13in such a BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA SNAP nLnc'rmc-menr swrrcn.

manner .asto normally. urge the bar 7 toward .the blocks 9-4), (min other words, toward the olfposition; handle 10 is also provided for moving the connecting arm in either direction, the handle beingconnected to the arm by means-of a sleeve as s own.

Operatively connected to. the .arms- 7-7 are-two curved rods 4-4 which carry pistons 3 such". as are illustrated in Figs. 5

and 7. The'pistons 3 are arranged to work I back andforth in annular cylinders such as 2'2, the central line of'the. cylinders 2 be-.-

ing concentric with the spindle 11. One

end of eachcylinder is .openas indicated in Fig. 1 while the opposite end is closed by a head such as 5 and each piston carries a packing ring or cup leather such as 16 which 1s so arranged, as shown, as to force the air toward the head 5, when the piston is moved in that -direction,but which will allow air to pass into the'cylinder readily when the piston is moved in the opposite direction;

It will be seen that'the moyement of the pistons toward their correspondingheads takes place when the arms 7 are turned towardthe o'fl position, and that the springs. 12 alsourge the arms in the direction just mentioned It will be understood, however,-

that the :pole segments 8 8 are provided the ends of the bars is suflicient to resist the tension of; the spring and hold the switch in'the on position so long as desired. However, if thehandlelO is turned suiiiciently I so that the arms 7; are moved off the raised -portion,-the armsare still in s'ufiicient con-v tact with the pole segments to maintain the circuit through the switch but' the spring l2'continues'the motion of the arms 7 toward the off position, the rapidity of such motion being determined'by the pistons 3;

Inworder to pern'ritthe air to escape from v the cylinders- 2 and permit the spring to turn the arms further, the heads 5 are apertured as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and

an adjustable screw. 6 is mounted in each head so. that the rapidity of the escape of the-air from the cylinders in front of the pistons 3 can be regulated as desired, In practice these screws can be adjusted so that l room mav be given an impulse and then the the time required for the connecting arms to move from the on to the off position may vary from one second to several minutes. It will be obvious that when the bars 7 are turned from the insulating segments 9 to the, on position that there will be little or no resistance offered by the pistons 3 because the air can pass by the cup leathers 1G.

It will be seen thatby the use of my invention a switch controlling the lights in a person who initiated the movement of the switch-will still have time to leave the room while the lights are burning. -It willbe understood, moreover, that while I have shown and described the preferred form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims clearly import.

.Having thus described my invention, what Iclaimis:-

1. An electric switch comprising in combination, a member for closing the circuit,

frictional means for holding said member in position to closethe circuit, and means for moving said member into position to open the circuit after the'beginning of the opening, movement.

.2. An electric switch comprising in combination, a member for closing the circuit, frictional means for holding said member in position to close the circuit, and spring means for moving sald member into posltlon to open the circuit after the beginning of the opening movement.

3. An electric switch comprising in combination, a member for closing the c1rcu1t,'

frictional means for holding said member in position to close the circuit, spring means for moving said member'mto position to" open the circuit after thebe'ginning of the opening movement, and means for retarding the operation of said spring means,

4. An electric switch comprising incombination, a member for closing the circuit, frictional means for holding said member in position to close the circuit, spring means for moving said member into posltion to open the circuit after the beginning of the opening movement, and'adjustable means for retarding the operation-of said spring means.

'5. A switch comprising in combination, at least one pivotally mounted arm, spring means normally tending to throw said arm to the off position, frictionmeans for holding said arm in the open position, and a dash, pot for opposing the force of said spring during the opening movement.

6. A switch comprising in combination, .a casing and base plate of insulating material, a spindle therefor, a revoluble sleeve carried thereon, and having two circuit closing arms which extend-in oppositedirections, spring means located on said sleeve concentric thereto and arranged to move said arms to the oif position, a segmental arm-attached. to one of said arms, a dash pot member conrying at the end-a piston having a cup leather, an annular cylinder in which said,

piston works having located at its head a screw for regulating the flow of air there-' through, and contact blocks for cooperating with said arms to close the, circuit, said blocks having raised'portions for frictionally engaging said armsfor holding the arms in position to close the circuit.

8'. An electric switch comprising in coinbination, a member for closingthe circuit, arrangements for holding said member in position to close the circuit, a spring for moving said member into position to open said circuit afterthe beginning of the opening'movement, and a dash pot for retarding the opening movement of 'saidmember, said arrangements comprising contact blocks cooperating with said member for closing the clrcuit, said blocks having each a raised portion thereon affording frictional means for holding said member in the position to close the circuit,

In testimony whereof I aifix signature in the presence of two witnesses.

James YUI LQ Witnesses:-

D. SrTOVELL, H. M. CHRIsrMAN. 

